1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate, in general, to air cleaners and, more particularly, to an air cleaner having a dehumidifying filter to remove moisture from air.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an air cleaner is an appliance that removes dust or an odor from air to clean the air. The air cleaner includes a cabinet having an air inlet port and an air outlet port. A blowing unit is provided in the cabinet, and generates a blowing force to draw air into the cabinet through the air inlet port and discharge the air to an outside of the cabinet through the air outlet port. A filtering unit is provided at a predetermined position between the air inlet port and the air outlet port to remove the dust or the odor from the air drawn into the cabinet.
The filtering unit includes a pre filter, a dust collecting filter, and a deodorizing filter. The pre filter functions to primarily filter relatively large dust particles. The dust collecting filter collects fine dust particles passing through the pre filter. The deodorizing filter removes the odor from the air. In this case, the pre filter, the dust collecting filter, and the deodorizing filter are sequentially arranged in a direction from the air inlet port to the air outlet port.
An electrostatic dust filter which uses ionization of dust particulates or a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter which includes a filter paper produced in a form of a non-woven fabric using asbestos is used as the dust collecting filter. Further, an activated carbon filter or a photocatalytic filter is used as the deodorizing filter. In this case, the activated carbon filter adsorbs the odor laden in the air. The photocatalytic filter eliminates germs in addition to removing the odor from the air.
In the air cleaner constructed as described above, when the blowing unit operates, the air is drawn into the cabinet through the air inlet port. The air sequentially passes through the pre filter, the dust collecting filter, and the deodorizing filter. Thereafter, the air is discharged through the air outlet port to the outside of the cabinet. At this time, impurities, such as the dust or the odor, are removed from the air.
However, the conventional air cleaner has a problem in that the air cleaner is not provided with a filter to remove moisture laden in the air, so that performance of the dust collecting filter and the deodorizing filter are deteriorated when the moisture is added to the dust collecting filter or the deodorizing filter and adhered to a surface of the dust collecting filter or the deodorizing filter.
In a detailed description, when the moisture is adhered to the surface of the dust collecting filter or the deodorizing filter, the moisture absorbs contaminants laden in the air. Thus, a pollution level of the dust collecting filter or the deodorizing filter is increased, or the contaminants mixed with the moisture block pores of the dust collecting filter or the deodorizing filter, thus reducing a flux of the dust collecting filter or the deodorizing filter. Thereby, the dust collecting filter or the deodorizing filter must be frequently replaced with new one, and a life span of the dust collecting filter or the deodorizing filter is reduced. Further, filtering efficiency of the dust collecting filter or the deodorizing filter is reduced.
The electrostatic dust filter and the photocatalytic filter are operated by electric power. Thus, when the moisture may be added to the electrostatic dust filter and the photocatalytic filter, there may occur electrical disorder in the electrostatic dust filter and the photocatalytic filter. Further, the moisture may hinder adsorbing action of an activated carbon filter to adsorb the odor.